Child Care Updates
Parents of children under six enrolled in licensed child care pay $10 a day for child care. As of April 1, 2026, $10 a day coverage expanded to include children who turn six while in Kindergarten so they can continue with $10 a day care until the end of the school year.
Saskatchewan introduced $10 a day child care in April 2023 through the Canada-Saskatchewan Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.
A five‑year extension agreement, effective April 1, 2026, supports the continuation of the $10 a day child care program.
1. What It Means for Parents
With $10 a day child care, families of children under six pay their licensed child care provider $10 per day, or $217.50 per month. To support the lower parent fees, regulated child care providers receive Parent Fee Reduction Grants from the government through the agreement to make up for the total fees charged by the child care provider.
The extension agreement effective April 1, 2026, expands eligibility to include Kindergarten children in regulated child care who turn six. This means children who turn six on or after April 1, 2026 remain eligible for $10 a day child care until the end of the Kindergarten school year in June or until they turn seven, whichever comes first.
2. Changes Under the Extension Agreement
Significant investments have been made to expand child care spaces, support the recruitment and retention of early childhood educators and introduce $10 a day child care. As the system has grown, so too have the costs of maintaining and operating an expanded number of regulated child care spaces. To manage costs within the new federal funding agreement, Saskatchewan, like other regions, is focusing on stability and long-term sustainability.
Changes are being made to protect and support the regulated child care system. These actions will help address funding shortfalls, give facilities more flexibility and reduce funding gaps.
The following actions will be implemented by July 1, 2026.
Redirect training funding
Starting in the 2026‑27 academic year, tuition-free training opportunities will focus on Early Childhood Educator Level I to help more people enter the workforce. Leadership training will continue to be delivered through the Saskatchewan Early Childhood Association.
Target space development
Additional child care space development will be strategically targeted to areas most in need.
Standard hours of care
Standard hours of child care service are defined as 10 hours of care per day, with the ability for operators to charge fees for extended hours if they choose.
Policy framework
A child care operations policy framework provides guidance for providers on potential additional revenue streams providers can use to supplement government funding.
- Early Learning and Child Care Centre Operations Policy Framework - Centres
- Early Learning and Child Care Home Operations Policy Framework - Homes
Maximum Parent Fee Reduction Grant
Facilities will be eligible to receive a maximum monthly Parent Fee Reduction Grant based on enrolment and aligned with the number and types of licensed spaces. Facilities can serve additional families within their regulated capacity by sharing spaces and collecting the parent fee of $10 a day; however, government grants will not be provided for enrolment that exceeds the total number of licensed spaces.
Additional support for facilities with the lowest fees
Effective July 1, 2026, child care fee schedules for facilities with the lowest fees (in the bottom 20 per cent) will be increased to support competitive fees across the sector. This will address the funding gap between new and legacy operators.